They live chained up or in a tiny cage. They don’t get the veterinary care they need. They die in the ring or are unceremoniously shot for losing. Some are used as “bait” for other dogs. Some have litter after litter. Some starve. Some go without water for days.

Odds are that dog fighting is happening in your state right now. We need your help to stop it. Give dog fighting victims three minutes of your time?

1. Ask your U.S. representative to support the Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act.

The Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act, introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on January 23, would make it a federal offense to knowingly attend an organized animal fight and would impose additional penalties for bringing children to animal fights. Violators would face up to one year in prison for attending a fight, and up to three years in prison for bringing a minor to a fight.

You can help the bill along by contacting your rep. We’ve made it easy at the ASPCA Advocacy Center, and we promise it only takes a few minutes, tops.

2. Download our new anti-dog fighting toolkit for citizen advocates.

If you’re as horrified by dog fighting as we are, and you think you might want to commit more time to stopping dog fighting in the near future, download our new toolkit developed with the U.S. Department of Justice. It’s got everything you need to know to get more involved. (We admit, actually reading it will take more than three minutes, but you get the idea.)

3. Fight Pit Bull prejudice via social media.

Pit Bulls and dogs who look like Pit Bulls get a bad rap because of their reputation as fighting dogs. Fight it by becoming a tireless advocate for them on your social networks. Start by posting the profile of a cute, adoptable Pit Bull-type dog on Facebook (we suggest Pet of the Week Champion) or sharing a happy tail about a Pit.

You can even share the story of a rehabilitated ex-fighting dog, like Ninja.

Oh, and of course, a bonus fourth thing you can do: Share this post on your social networks.

Comments

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Comments

Please, please stop the dog fighting. I have seen pictures of the results of some of these horrible fights and they are heartbreaking. Dogs are pets and should be treated with love and kindness--just as we would treat our children. This needs to stop.

If spectators stop attending because of possible jail time the sport could not support itself & become unprofitable. As long as adults take children to this horrific sport new generations of spectators will keep tdof fighting alive & well funded.

Dog fighting needs to stop now! Those who promote or attend such things don't deserve to live. Pitties get a bad wrap. Dogs are not born mean, it is what humans do to them. I volunteer at our local dog shelter and we have alot of sweet Pit Bulls and similar breeds that are very sweet and just need a loving home with people who are familiar with the burly breeds.

I'm anti-dogfight, but no way am I going to stop educating people on the dangers of owning pitbulls. They were bred to fight (in a pit, hence the name, pit bull.) The dogs lack the instinct to submit, and they should not be pets, period. Google "dog bit" in images and you can see that bites from other dog breeds are nothing compared to ones by pits, which are most likely to end in fatality and disfigurement. Rescued togs are like owning a loose cannon. Do not do it. The facts are out there. It's not worth the risk. The dog attacks silently and in many cases there was no hint of a problem beforehand. On occasion it IS the owner ignoring a dog being aggressive, thinking love will change things. It won't. Keep in mind it is just as likely for a pit with no previous signs of aggression to attack, and because of their special breeding, they release a hormone which is similar to oxytocin when they feel pain. They are, by selective breeding, masochistic.